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Major Requirements

Overview

The major in history consists of 12 courses, at least 11 of which must be completed within the Department of History. Students may (with permission) include one course from another department in constructing their “Fields of Concentration” (see below).

Individual programs must satisfy both lower- and upper-division requirements. They must also include at least one course (as one of the 12 required courses) devoted entirely to premodern history to be selected from courses focused on one or more of the following eras: Antiquity, the Classical Period, and the Medieval Period; courses dealing solely with the Early Modern Period do not satisfy this requirement. For courses satisfying the premodern history requirement, please review the current list.

Students may declare the major after completing three courses in the Department of History, including at least two courses in the lower division.

Lower-Division Requirements

Four courses at UC Berkeley (or their equivalents elsewhere), to include:

one survey course in the history of the United States (7A or 7B);

one survey course in the history of Europe (4A, 4B or 5);

one survey course in the history of another world area (3, 6, 6A, 6B, 8A, 8B, 10, 11, 12, 14);

one elective (any of additional course listed above, or History 1, 2, 30 or 39. Note that History R1B, 24, 84 and 98 do not fulfill this requirement.)

Students may substitute one upper-division course for any one of the first three requirements, in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor.

For Non-Berkeley Courses

To find equivalent courses at California Community Colleges, see assist.org. Please be aware that not every possible course is articulated on assist.org. You are welcome to ask the Undergraduate Advisor about any non-articulated history courses. To have any non-Berkeley course approved, please bring a syllabus, or at least a course description, along with a copy of the transcript on which the course appears (unofficial is fine) when you come in to declare the major.

Field of Concentration

The four courses constituting the field of concentration must include History 101. The three additional courses in the field may include History 103. They may also include one appropriate upper-division course (of at least three units) from another department (in consultation with the Undergraduate Advisor.)

Students must submit the Field of Concentration form (online) two semesters prior to graduation (thus, for example, during the spring of the junior year for majors expecting to graduate the following spring) in order to secure approval for their Field of Concentration from the Committee on the History Undergraduate Major.

While individual majors must define their own particular fields of concentration, the Committee on the History Undergraduate Major offers a sample of possible fields to assist students in making their decisions.

Independent Study in History

Students may create an independent study project in consultation with a supervising professor in the History Department under the number History 199. (Lecturers and GSIs may not supervise History 199.) With the professor's approval, History 199 may be taken for one to four units. A four-unit History 199 may count once as an upper division course requirement and can be a great addition to your Field of Concentration. History 199 may only be taken P/NP and will not be counted in the major GPA.

Please complete the History 199 Form with a faculty member, and turn the completed form in to the Undergraduate Advisor before the add deadline.